Dark to Light
by RilienRhovanion
Summary: The Urukhai were once elves. Haldir is on a mission to turn one back into an elf.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All mine, always was.**

"_Do you know how the orcs came to be?" Saruman asked in his deep, eerie voice. The Uruk-hai snarled in response, displaying a row of sharp teeth. "They were elves once, taken by the dark powers, tortured and mutilated. A ruined and terrible form of life. And now... perfected. My fighting Uruk-hai…"_

Haldir scanned the horizon with his keen blue eyes, and he saw… nothing. Nothing unusual. Oh yes, there was a certain dark cloud hanging over a mountain-edged area called Morder, but that cloud was now fading into nothingness. It had been diminishing steadily for the past several months. So when Haldir did his routine glance across the expanse, it only dimly registered in his mind. He was not interested in the Shadow; he was looking for orcs.

After Sauron and Saruman both met their demise, the orcs and other foul creatures of Middle-Earth were left in confusion; they had no master, no one to lead them and tell them what to do. As a result, their existence had become pointless and they swarmed about Middle-Earth without a purpose, occasionally participating in small battles when their befuddled minds registered the fact that they were once supposed to kill everything in sight.

As The March Warden of Lothlorien, it was Haldir's job to make sure that any and all of these stray orcs never entered the wood and were disposed of as soon as they were sighted.

And as of yet, he had seen none.

Haldir gave an uncharacteristically impatient sigh and leaned against the trunk of a tree. The other guards gave him odd looks; Haldir _never_ displayed any emotion other than chilly superiority when he was on patrol. Of course, the only emotion he displayed otherwise was proud humbleness, and _that _was only when he was around his lord and lady.

Haldir checked the surrounding land again; just to make sure he hadn't missed anything. He hadn't.

"Haldir!" a voice interrupted. Haldir jumped and hissed at the obnoxiously loud sound. One of his guards snickered softly and was rewarded with The March Warden glare, which silenced him instantly. "Haldir!" insisted the voice.

Forcing himself not to appear surprised at the intrusion, Haldir turned and faced the person. It was Orophin. "Haldir!" he said again.

"Yes?" asked Haldir grumpily. "I have not forgotten my name, thank you, if that is what you are here to accomplish."

"It is not," replied his brother, lowering his voice to a level more acceptable on elvish ears. "The Lady wishes to speak to you. Immediately."

Haldir's bad mood evaporated. "The Lady?" he repeated, his eyes lighting up at the thought of providing service to his lady. "What did she want?"

"She didn't tell me, but I suggest that you go and find out." Orophin answered. "She said she wished for you to see her as soon as possible."

"I will go. You make assume my post until this patrol is due back to Caras Galadhon." Haldir nodded his thanks at Orophin and swept past him to make his way back to the city.

XXXXXXXXX scene break (I don't know how to make it work so w/e) XXXXXXXXX

Haldir stood before Galadriel with his head bowed respectfully. She stood on the steps of her lavishly decorated talan and surveyed him critically. "You are still in your traveling clothes." she remarked disapprovingly.

"Yes, my lady," Haldir said, sounding properly ashamed. "I did not have time to change when I arrived. Orophin said you wished to see me immediately."

"Indeed," intoned Galadriel. She looked immaculately unattractive, as always. He wore a flowing, white dress draped across her body, with a low-cut neckline that exposed a hint of fine elvish cleavage. Her golden circlet was perched just so upon her long, blonde hair that had obviously been tamed with a curling iron and hairspray to stay in exactly the position she wanted it. Her face was unmarked by time, and may have been quite pretty if she only smiled more often. Her blue eyes blinked lazily at Haldir as she waited for him to say something.

Realizing his lady was less forthcoming than usual today, Haldir decided to take action. "What was it you wanted to see me about, my lady?" he prompted.

Galadriel drew in a deep breath, her nostrils flaring. She let it out and inhaled again, as though what she was about to say was forcing her to make a great personal sacrifice. "I," she announced in a deep slow voice that was supposed to convey wisdom. "Have looked into my mirror." Haldir was taken slightly aback. He had been called off patrol because The Lady had looked into piece of reflective glass? "And I have seen," She finished.

Oh, _that_ mirror. The one that looked like a birdbath.

"What did you see?" He asked eagerly.

"Things that were…" Galadriel continued in the same excruciatingly monotone voice. "Things that are… and some things, that have not yet come to pass." At last some inflection crept into her words and her voice became higher pitched towards the end of her proclamation.

Galadriel said nothing more, and Haldir waited patiently. His lady always had reasons for her actions. Her birdbath gave her wisdom and she followed that wisdom. If she wanted to make him wait to find out the reason of her summons, he would wait.

"I have a task for you, Haldir." she finally said.

Haldir bowed. "I shall do whatever my lady wishes," he said.

"Good," came the response. "Tell me, Haldir, what do you know of the Uruk-hai?"

Haldir was delighted at the opportunity to share knowledge with his lady. "The Uruk-hai," he recited. "Are a thoroughbred strain of orcs first created by Sauron in the Third Age, by crossing orcs with goblin-men. Saruman recently copied Sauron's methods and created his own army of Uruk-hai. They were created in the ground beneath Isengard…"

"Wrong," interrupted Galadriel. Haldir blinked and fell silent. "Some were made in the birthing pits beneath Isengard, but others were not. They were elves."

"Elves!" Haldir exclaimed, thoroughly shocked. "But, elves wouldn't fight for the Sauron, or even Saruman!"

"They _used_ to be elves," Galadriel corrected herself. "They were taken captive, thought for dead." Her eyes glazed over and her voice dropped. "They were tortured, Haldir, tortured. Their minds were twisted by evil until they forgot that they were children of the light. They became helpless minions of Saruman, condemned to killing their own kind!"

"But Saruman is dead, the orcs have no master," Haldir said. "What of them now?"

"They are bewildered," Galadriel breathed. "This I have seen." Haldir nodded, encouraging her to continue. "They know not who they are. Your task, Haldir," Here she paused dramatically. "Your task, is to release them from the evil that constricts their minds."

"I thought they were no longer elves," stated Haldir, echoing the lady's words back to her.

"The evil in Middle-Earth is receding," Galadriel said, with the air of one sharing a very important piece of information, never mind that _everyone_ knew about it. "Their masters are gone; the orcs can be tamed." Her eyes fixated themselves on his face. "You must find an Uruk-hai and free the elf he once was."

"I have not seen any orcs, much less Uruk-hai, at the borders for weeks, my lady," said Haldir miserably.

"That is why you shall be traveling south," Galadriel glared at him as he opened his mouth to protest. "You will find an Uruk, restore him to his proper consciousness, and return with him to Lothlorien."

"My lady," Haldir began.

His lady cut him off. "You leave in two days time."

"He tried again. "My lady…"

"Go," she ordered.

He went.

**TO BE CONTINUED (I HOPE…)**

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**A/N: Good? Bad? Ugly? I hope this doesn't suck as much as my last story!**


	2. Rumil should have been drowned at birth

**Sorry about the long wait, I procrastinate on everything. Including homework. Which explains why I have a B- in Spanish… **

**So here ya go.**

Bright and not necessarily early the next morning, Haldir could be found pacing the floor of his tidy little talan while his other, and much less mature brother Rúmil amusedly observed his progress from his unobtrusive perch upon a shelf. He had taken care to sneak into Haldir's bedroom before dawn in hopes of drilling his dear older brother about what The Lady had wanted as soon as Haldir showed any signs of waking up. However, he had not yet gotten a chance to announce his presence.

When Haldir had woken up, he had immediately leapt out of bed and began walking back and forth across the floor, muttering to himself. So far, Rúmil had been able to pick up the words "Lady…" "Uruk-hai," "Elves," and "What in Eru WAS she thinking?"

Deciding enough was enough; Rúmil decided it was high time to end Haldir's ramblings. "Haldir!" he called cheerfully.

Haldir jumped. Rúmil chucked to himself. The big bad march warden was skittish… Tucking this piece of information away for future blackmail, he called out again. "Haldir!"

This time, the high-strung Haldir was able to locate him. "Why," he asked forcefully, "Do my brothers seem to think that I have forgotten my name? What do you want? And WHY are you in my talan?"

"Ahh, Haldir," mused Rúmil. "All the friends you would make if only you were more polite…"

"YOU are the one who is being impolite," snapped Haldir. "I might remind you that it is you who has intruded upon my talan, not the other way around. Now answer my question, why are you here?"

"To ask you why the Lady wanted to speak to you," said Rúmil with a cheeky grin.

Haldir scowled. "It is not any of your business."

Rúmil hopped down from the shelf and joined Haldir in the middle of the floor. "I'm your brother, Haldir," he said reasonably. "Of course it's my business."

"No it is not," countered Haldir. He spun on his heel and resumed pacing, giving Rúmil a wide berth. Rúmil followed him.

"I don't understand why you can't tell me," he pouted, though of course, he hadn't really expected Haldir to give him an answer. Haldir came to a dead stop mid-stride, causing Rúmil to crash into him.

"Get OUT of my talan!" bellowed Haldir. His voice reverberated off the walls, making his brother's pointy ears twitch.

Rúmil gave him an innocent smile. "Make me," he said pleasantly.

"As you wish," returned Haldir angrily. With that, he tackled Rúmil, sending them both sprawling across the floor in an untidy heap of blonde braids and stray appendages. Rúmil struggled against the chokehold that was suddenly upon him, and was rewarded with a tightening of the arms around his neck.

Desperate to free himself, Rúmil brought his leg around and kneed Haldir in the stomach. The arms loosened, and he took advantage of his brother's brief incapacitation to free himself and flip Haldir onto his back. A moment later, Rúmil had the upper hand and was sitting on Haldir's chest, pinning his arms to the ground,

"Now," he said briskly, bringing his face and inch away from his brother's. "Tell me what she said." Just as Haldir opened his mouth to reply, a gentle knock sounded at the door. "Come in," snapped Rúmil without looking up.

A tall elf stepped elegantly into the room, his blue eyes locked onto the two brothers on the floor in front of him. "Am I interrupting something?" he asked uneasily.

"No!" Haldir gasped. "What is it?"

"The Lady wishes to speak with you," came the response.

"Again?' despaired Haldir. "She wants to see me again?"

"Yes again," said the messenger, bowing. "I will take my leave." With another bow, he hastily exited the room.

Haldir shoved at Rúmil. "Get off me," he snarled. Reluctantly, his brother rolled off and allowed him up.

" I suppose this means you won't be telling when what The Lady said to you last night," he said.

"No, I shall not." Said Haldir, running a hand through his messy blonde hair. "I need to bathe. I already appeared before her unpresentable once, I cannot allow that to happen again."

"Why did you not bathe last night?" asked Rúmil.

"Because I was tired. I had been on patrol."

"Oh yes," said Rúmil sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "And we all know how exhausting border patrols can be these days. All those orcs! When was the last time you saw an orc, Haldir?"

"Three weeks ago," admitted Haldir. "But that's not the point, I need to wash."

"I believe the bathing chamber is over there," said Rúmil, pointing to a door on the other side of the room.

"It's my talan, Rúmil, I know where it is."

"Then go wash already!"

Haldir went and washed, closing the door firmly behind him. Rúmil absentmindedly strolled around the small room and examined Haldir's belongings. He didn't have much. Needless to say, poor Rúmil got very bored very soon. It didn't help that Haldir was taking his sweet time having a bath.

"Haldir?" Rúmil called. "You're taking an awfully long time."

"I was very dirty," said Haldir dryly. "When one is dirty, it is necessary to take greater care when bathing."

"Oh, do you need any help?"

"NO!" screeched Haldir.

**Lame place to end, but whatever.**

**I am very busy with school, therefore updates will not be regular, so if anyone wants to write this with me, let me know. I am very uncreative and this story needs help. We could start with putting band-aids over the big ugly plot holed that seem to have materialized from somewhere…**

**The Lady of Light:** First off, I HATE Galadriel. I hate Arwen too. I hate how the movies portrayed both of them. So forgive me if I hyperbolize all their faults. Galadriel will be ugly and stupid and slow and however else she appeared to you. I was going to have her dramatically tell Haldir about his mission, then say, "shut up and go already," but I didn't think that would work.

I KNOW that I have big ugly plot holes concerning the creation of orcs/Uruk-hai. The quote from Saruman was taken directly from the movie, I'm too lazy to see it it's in the books or not. I also looked up Uruk-hai in the book about weapons and warfare of LOTR. I kind of made up my own thing to make my not-so-brilliant story work.

Don't get me wrong, I loved getting your review, I wanted criticism. I hope it's slightly better now.

**TheSilverFeatheredRaven:** Yeah, humans had things similar to hairspray and curling irons; only they had different names, which I don't know. So I called them curling irons and hairspray. I don't like Galadriel, I think she's ugly, so I get to make fun of her.

**Itarilde Seregon:** It's so fun to make fun of Galadriel…

**Twilla:** I really like Haldir, but I haven't found many good stories about him. I hope mine's okay.

**I Estel vinta amarbarenna lomeo A Duath:** You have a really really really long pen name. (duh) What does it mean?


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